The Forest Hills Jewish Center

What terrific, feel good High Holidays we had at FHJC this year with our new wonderful Rabbi and talented Hazzan. It was also great seeing so many new young families and children participating. It is an exciting time for our Synagogue.

I have only had wonderful experiences at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. Our congregation is egalitarian and is led by Rabbi Skolnik who has been our leader for 40 years. Women count here. We take part in all aspects of the service including leading prayers and reading Torah. He has been here for 40 years because he is beloved, dynamic and progressive. Congregants make sure that they are in the sanctuary for his sermons. He is truly an orator extraordinaire. The Religious School is fabulous and well run by the Director. The teachers are intelligent and faring; the curriculum exciting. This is nothing like Hebrew School in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Brought daughter to this location for several years, and they’ve started recently checking bags and metal scanning. This is Forest Hills, that’s practically security theater given there’s already people checking the doors for people entering inside. Nothing worth hiding in a kids backpack. Just the rudeness is what’s unsettling. Think about the regular patrons you’re turning away as a result of these actions. It’s definitely making me rethink anything that needs to be attended here going forward

I was profoundly disappointed by this Jewish center. My father was a member of the men’s club and building club upon his death my mother n I ( age 14 ) were no longer able to be members due to financial hardship. We relied on friends to assist us in obtaining tickets. Then several years later my mother died ( my mother had been instrumental in having the stained glass installed in the sanctuary)and the rabbi/ office staff did not have the decency to help proof the Hebrew on her headstone. This was plain mean. At the time of her death they were not able to provide a rabbi to assist at her funeral- I had to get cantor grosz out of retirement!! They are only interested in their members IE : $$$$$ money. They need to removed community from their name. I will never step into this Schul again

To all wonderful Jewish people from Rego Park/ forest hills who are looking to be part of a healthy, spiritual, religious Jewish environment, this place is NOT it. I've got nothing but complaints about this place. I only came here because it was close. Not anymore. Beyond the list of complaints I've mentally observed over the course of a year, what really took matters beyond words is when the so called president, Gary Kerzner, who is an embarrassment and the anchor to the growth of the synagogue, on multiple occasions showed gross disrespect to my children. After his first kind warning to my kids playing in the lobby, he began to verbally harass them, threatening them with scary looks, and even taking pictures or videos of them any time he saw them at the synagogue or outside of the synagogue. This was brought to his attention multiple times, and once in front of his wife, Rae, but they both laughed at my face like im crazy, and walked. Let this be a warning to all the parents reading this, and perhaps the rabbi will take this disturbing matter into his hands and resolve the problem. Other necessary steps to resolve this matter are already in the process.